Projects on www.myblueroom.com, which one would you like to see first?

Some of these projects apply to those of you with home automation projects.

Like a DIY Aprilaire or RCS RS232 thermostat. Or even along the lines of an Elk Magic & Stargate project. Personally I want to control most of these projects with my Linux gateway (see the Elephant project on the site)

Here's a list of projects currently on

I'd like your feedback on which one I should start coding first or even just comments on your favourite project.

Almost all projects can be built with many variations, see the schematics for details.

Cricket Communicating Thermostat (currently the most popular) RS232 or RS485 operation 2 Digit LED with 8 zone status 16x2 LCD display 4 pushbuttons Relay I2C thermostat iButton thermostat IR Receiver switch selectable addressing (I2C only) HVAC control zoneable operation

Ladybug Super I/O Controller (can be used as HVAC controller with Cricket) RS232 & RS485 operation additional secondary RS232 option Realtime clock with powerfail backup iButton support 4 switch or GP inputs (1 Analog or digital) 6 Relay outputs Open collector with PWM output can use high powered PIC18F2525 or standard 16F876A

Armadillo iButton / Keypad Door Lock with H-Bridge 12 button keypad iButton reader with LED 2 Status LEDs H-Bridge can drive small DC motor or two solenoids 1A max Clock calender option with battery backup 10yrs EEPROM upgrade for use as a hotel lock or chronolock remote 1wire lock request (can also be used a an open closed sensor) exit switch option buzzer

Owl iButton Five Zone Security System A simple to build project to demostrate what can be done with 6 I/O lines uses 1wire serial numbers DS2401 for zones (Armadillo lock can also be a zone) tamper switch and iButton reader Relay output 5 zone status LEDs 1 armed LED 1 alarm LED panic switch

Fox RS232 to RS485 with IR and iButton options can be powered from RS232 port uses DS1402D1 iButton reader defaults to 9600 baud, higher bauds do not support iButton / IR options

Panda RS485 Motor Controller uses L293 motor controller 4 switch inputs switch selectable address can also drive 4 relays (instead of motors) can also drive a stepper motor

Koloa Same as Panda but with 4 relays instead of L293 (not currently posted)

Yetti RS485 to Relay controller (simple)

Snake Digital Dice (pair of electronic dice) nice beginner project auto power off works great with a tilt switch

Zebra 6 Digit Charlieplexed RS485 clock with Relay & IR

On the drawing board Tug of war, a PIC12C508 two push buttons & 7 LEDs in a tug of war

Some of these projects apply to those of you with home automation projects.

Like a DIY Aprilaire or RCS RS232 thermostat. Or even along the lines of an Elk Magic & Stargate project. Personally I want to control most of these projects with my Linux gateway (see the Elephant project on the site)

Here's a list of projects currently on

I'd like your feedback on which one I should start coding first or even just comments on your favourite project.

Almost all projects can be built with many variations, see the schematics for details.

Cricket Communicating Thermostat (currently the most popular) RS232 or RS485 operation 2 Digit LED with 8 zone status 16x2 LCD display 4 pushbuttons Relay I2C thermostat iButton thermostat IR Receiver switch selectable addressing (I2C only) HVAC control zoneable operation

Ladybug Super I/O Controller (can be used as HVAC controller with Cricket) RS232 & RS485 operation additional secondary RS232 option Realtime clock with powerfail backup iButton support 4 switch or GP inputs (1 Analog or digital) 6 Relay outputs Open collector with PWM output can use high powered PIC18F2525 or standard 16F876A

Armadillo iButton / Keypad Door Lock with H-Bridge 12 button keypad iButton reader with LED 2 Status LEDs H-Bridge can drive small DC motor or two solenoids 1A max Clock calender option with battery backup 10yrs EEPROM upgrade for use as a hotel lock or chronolock remote 1wire lock request (can also be used a an open closed sensor) exit switch option buzzer

Owl iButton Five Zone Security System A simple to build project to demostrate what can be done with 6 I/O lines uses 1wire serial numbers DS2401 for zones (Armadillo lock can also be a zone) tamper switch and iButton reader Relay output 5 zone status LEDs 1 armed LED 1 alarm LED panic switch

Fox RS232 to RS485 with IR and iButton options can be powered from RS232 port uses DS1402D1 iButton reader defaults to 9600 baud, higher bauds do not support iButton / IR options

Panda RS485 Motor Controller uses L293 motor controller 4 switch inputs switch selectable address can also drive 4 relays (instead of motors) can also drive a stepper motor

Koloa Same as Panda but with 4 relays instead of L293 (not currently posted)

Yetti RS485 to Relay controller (simple)

Snake Digital Dice (pair of electronic dice) nice beginner project auto power off works great with a tilt switch

Zebra 6 Digit Charlieplexed RS485 clock with Relay & IR

On the drawing board Tug of war, a PIC12C508 two push buttons & 7 LEDs in a tug of war

I can appreciate what you are trying to do and wish to encourage you. You have very good initiative and drive. Your web site is spiffy and clean.

But here is a candid comment about the communicating thermostat that is only worthy as one persons opinion. Take it with a grain of salt...

People need to have an attractive looking thermo on the wall. And it has to be reliable, else the pipes can freeze if there is failure... or the house can get very hot if things lock up the other way. There is also the required flexibility for 2 stage heat and cool, or heat pump operation.

My suggestion: Perhaps there are reasonably priced commercial thermos available that offer RS485 or 232 communication (Robertshaw is one that comes to mind... there are others too) and you can add an inexpensive Ethernet interface with Web page management? Even add multiple temp sensors using 1-wire? Or a variety of other temperature related features, but leave the thermostat on the wall as a commercial product.

Communicating clock is nice in an E911 call center, building or subway station, but for home an attractive WWVB controlled clock can be had for $30. But you should indeed display the correct time on your communicating thermo or the display of other devices you connect to. And if the master controller or automation system communicates over IP, than NTP would be standard.

Here is another project for you along these lines of improving commercial products... everyone can buy a solar powered garden light for $5 or less. But the dumb thing stays on all night until dawn. If that is followed by a cloudy day, there is no light the following night since the battery is dead. Design a simple 4 hour timer that turns the light off when people are asleep... or a simple 8 pin PIC or AVR chip that figures out how long the day is and can adjust itself to turn off around midnight, give or take a few minutes. It can be smart enough to flash the LED every so often if the battery is weak. Again, this concept takes the commercially built device and adds some "extras" to it. I don't know how this would interest others, but it results in "special" features that other people cannot purchase in the store and utilizes the commercial product as the base.

Again... no discouragement...it is just one opinion... just channeling your energy into a slightly different angle.

Good luck!